AlphaMikeFoxtrot

https://archive.is/2026.06.06-150926/https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7333777/2026/06/06/jason-blake-jackson-blake-stanley-cup-final-hurricanes/

NCAA accepts hockey's age proposal for 19 after basketball and soccer threw right behind it.

Blake with an all time bad penalty. Cannot give refs anything to call with a late lead (just like Cooley vs Quinny in 23).

Billings just got a great new community facility with multiple rinks. Friend from there sent me a link and I thought it needed a junior team.

https://ushl.com/news/2026/6/2/mens-ice-hockey-west-coast-expansion-on-the-horizon.aspx

Blame Canada!

He might have selected another sport entirely for college. I do expect some aristocrat, like Larry Robbins or *gasp* Murry Gunty, who is a college hockey dad to sue the NCAA to force an exception for hockey. Another lawsuit angle is something involving the Post Grad year that kids do at NEPSAC and similar schools, which have plenty of aristocratic parents as well.

If you want to know which schools might shutter (or cut hockey out of desperation to save money), this lists the financial health of all private non-profits in the US. Some MIAC D3 schools look shaky. Niagara, Merrimack, and surprisingly Clarkson all score low. AIC and Mercyhurst are low too if that's any indicator. https://www.forbes.com/lists/college-financial-grades/

Cole Smith with an apple on the goal that kept Vegas in the game. Getting one before the 1st ended was massive. I keep thinking I see Sioux jerseys in the crowd, but they are Whalers green.

NHL is secondary to NCAA puck for me, so I might be off base here, but it seems like nobody ever thrives there and then wind up doing better elsewhere.

Hopefully once all commits from prior to Chyzyk coming aboard are either on campus or going elsewhere they take can advantage of this more. The new 5 in 5 may draw out MJ accepting its new place in the development pyramid now that the older and more experienced players touted as college hockey's biggest advantage won't be as prevalent. Brad and the rest of the college hockey pundits said it was only a matter of time until they came to terms with it, but who knows now.

Good catch. My bad

With him it's especially tough given his dad is an NHL exec and we have a reputation for being a good landing spot for kids with NHL family ties. The Leafs GM's son committing to DU is interesting given the Carle rumors being shot down.

Did not imagine Blake on the hottest line in the playoffs. Good for him. His swag/drip/etc. likely resonates with some blue chips. Hope to someday read about a kid from the suburbs we normally wrote off as shoo in for the Gophers saying how their favorite player is Blake and that influenced their decision to pick UND.

Graduation rate will decline, hopefully they brought that up when selling the exemption and alternative since that's supposed to be the point of it all. We will see fewer (if any) Cooper Simpsons staying loyal to their hometown through high school and more Cole Bumgarners going to juniors too early.